Chapter 530: Cloud Xiao, Xiao Yun

"Che'er, quickly sit down..."

Mu Yurou gently pressed Yun Che into a wooden chair. Her face was tear-streaked, like a pear blossom after rain, and her hands still trembled slightly. She gazed at her son, who was right before her, unable to tear her eyes away for even a moment.

She still held the Samsara Mirror in her hand. On Yun Che's arm, the mark of the Profound Qi was faintly shimmering. She saw a face that was seventy percent similar to Yun Qinghong's when he was young, and felt a vivid, almost palpable, bloodline connection... This was her son... her biological son.

"Che'er... my child..." Mu Yurou murmured softly, choking up again. "I truly... I'm not dreaming..."

They had spent more than two months together, and Yun Che usually called her "mother." But facing Yun Che now, her emotions and state of mind were completely different. Yun Che opened his mouth and said softly, "Mother, I'm sorry... The first time I saw you, I knew you were my biological parents, but... I didn't acknowledge you until today."

Mu Yurou slowly shook her head. None of that mattered to her. At this moment, nothing else in the world mattered. She felt that all the joy and happiness of her entire life combined could not compare to this moment. She gently said, "Husband, look at our child, how handsome he is! Even more handsome than you were when you were young. He'll attract so many girls. And he's so obedient, sensible, and kind... For more than twenty years, not only did we fail to fulfill our parental duties for a single day, but we also let him suffer endless hardship and displacement from the moment he was born. Yet, our son doesn't blame us at all... not at all..."

"Moreover, his spirit and wisdom far surpass mine from back then. His medical skills are unparalleled in the world. He's only been back for two months, yet he's already pulled us out of the abyss, made your eldest brother – who bows to no one – eager to become sworn brothers with him, ruined Prince Huai's meticulous schemes, and restored hope to our Yun Family... This is our son!" Yun Qinghong said, looking up, his voice filled with overwhelming excitement and pride.

"Our son..." Mu Yurou caressed Yun Che's cheek with one hand and covered her mouth with the other. After her long cry, she wanted to be strong, to keep her newly returned son from seeing only her tears. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop them. She murmured as if in a dream, "I thought I would never... never see him again in this life... Heaven truly has eyes..."

Yun Che reached out and gently wiped the tears from his mother's face. "Mother, don't cry anymore. Our family is reunited, and you've both recovered. All the hardships are behind us now."

"Mmm... Mother won't cry... won't cry... Mother is just... too happy..." Mu Yurou nodded, reaching up to wipe away her tears. But she had shed so many tears that even after wiping for a long time, her face remained warm and damp.

"Che'er," Yun Qinghong let out a soft breath and asked slowly, "How have you been all these years? And how did you find your way here from the distant Profound Sky Continent?"

Yun Qinghong's question deeply touched Mu Yurou. She grasped Yun Che's hand and eagerly asked, "Yes... Che'er, have you been well all these years? Have you suffered a lot?"

At that moment, Mu Yurou's entire heart was focused on her son; she couldn't think of much else. But Yun Qinghong knew that with Yun Che's maturity, which was far beyond his years, he must have suffered far more than just "a lot of hardship." Without trials that ordinary people could hardly bear, how could he possess such a mindset, courage, and abilities that were beyond the norm?

Yun Che smiled and said, "I will definitely tell Mother and Father everything that has happened to me over the years in detail. But before that..." He reached out and pulled Yun Xiao closer. "Father, Mother, now is also the time to tell your other son about his origins. Yun Xiao is no longer a child; he is already a true man, standing tall and firm. He has the right to know his true background."

Yun Xiao paused for a moment, then his eyes cleared, and he nodded firmly. "Father, Mother, please tell me about my origins. I want to know where I come from and who my biological parents are. Please don't worry, Father and Mother; even though I am not your biological child, your upbringing and love for me over these years were not false. In the future, whether I acknowledge my ancestors and find my biological parents or not, you will always be my parents, for life."

Before this, Yun Xiao had felt confusion, hesitation, and a sense of loss. But after speaking these words, he found that all the apprehension and disappointment in his heart vanished instantly, replaced only by composure and ease, and a heartfelt joy for their family's reunion.

Though not their biological child, they had treated him as their own all these years, caring for him meticulously. This nurturing kindness alone was a debt impossible to repay in a lifetime. His elder brother had saved his life, helped him repeatedly, and guided him. He even delayed this family reunion by a full two months just to consider Yun Xiao's feelings...

Though not blood relatives, their kindness towards him was truly heartfelt. What more could he be disappointed about or fail to accept? His beloved parents had found the son they had worried about for so many years; naturally, he should be happy for them. His most respected elder brother had reunited with his parents; naturally, he should be happy for his elder brother...

At this moment, he clearly felt as if he had instantly grown up, experiencing the kind of spiritual elevation Yun Che had described.

Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou exchanged glances and smiled with joy and relief. Yun Qinghong nodded, "Good! What a good child. Xiao'er, your biological father and I were sworn brothers, and he was my only true confidant in this life. You and Che'er are also sworn brothers, so our two families have long been one."

"Ah..." Yun Xiao's mouth fell open. "Father and my biological father... already knew each other?"

"Yes," Yun Qinghong nodded, then pulled Yun Xiao's arm. "Xiao'er, sit down. Your mother and I will tell you the full details of your origins today."

In the not-so-spacious room, the four sat facing each other. For Yun Qinghong, Mu Yurou, and Yun Che alike, the feeling of "home" had never been as clear as it was at this moment. With deep emotion and gratitude, Yun Qinghong recounted to Yun Xiao their three years on the Profound Sky Continent, especially his meeting with Xiao Ying, their mutual understanding, kindred spirits, and their sworn brotherhood... all the way to how Xiao Ying planned an escape route for the couple to survive, and secretly exchanged his own son for theirs.

Yun Xiao listened in silence. After Yun Qinghong finished recounting everything, he remained in a daze for a long time, then murmured distractedly to himself, "So... my hometown... really is in the Profound Sky Continent..."

"The Profound Sky Continent isn't as perilous as the Illusory Demon Realm claims. Only a certain segment of people there are dangerous. In comparison, the biggest difference between the Profound Sky Continent and the Illusory Demon Realm is primarily the racial distribution; it's a world dominated by humans and beasts, with very few demons," Yun Che explained. In the Illusory Demon Realm, the Profound Sky Continent was demonized, and he didn't want Yun Xiao to develop unnecessary prejudice or resistance towards it because of that.

"Mmm..." Yun Xiao slowly nodded, his expression still a bit hazy. He needed ample time to accept and process this information. "Xiao... so my surname is Xiao... no wonder... Father and Mother named me Yun Xiao..."

"Heh heh, because we always hoped that one day, you could return to the Profound Sky Continent to acknowledge your ancestors," Yun Qinghong said with a smile.

"Big Brother, my biological parents... are they doing well now? Do they still live in that place called... Floating Cloud City?" Yun Xiao asked, his eyes hazy.

Although Yun Che had long known this question would inevitably be asked and was prepared for it, his expression still froze instantly when Yun Xiao asked it, leaving him speechless for a long time.

Yun Che's expression caused Yun Qinghong's face to subtly change. Recalling the many hardships Yun Che must have endured over the years, his heart tightened further. He grabbed Yun Che's shoulder, looking directly at him. "How is Xiao Ying now? In Floating Cloud City, the Xiao family is one of the few prominent ones. He must be... living quite carefree, right?"

Yun Che let out a heavy sigh. He didn't answer Yun Qinghong directly but looked at Yun Xiao, saying solemnly, "Yun Xiao, remember what I said before: a true man must calmly face all of fate's tricks. In this world, whether joyful or sorrowful, once something has happened, one can only accept and confront it... And how one accepts and confronts it is when a person is truly tested."

Yun Xiao looked at Yun Che, his hands quietly clenching together. After a long moment, his eyes became resolute. "Big Brother, tell me... no matter the outcome, I will calmly accept it."

Yun Che nodded, then closed his eyes and slowly said, "Uncle Xiao... he died twenty-two years ago."

Yun Qinghong shot up with a gasp, his face instantly turning ashen. Few things in this world could elicit such a violent reaction from him... But Xiao Ying was his only sworn brother in this life, his sole true confidant, and a person whose kindness was as vast as a mountain. If not for him back then, Yun Qinghong and his wife would never have returned alive to the Illusory Demon Realm.

He never imagined that Xiao Ying had... died... twenty-two years ago... already died...

And that timing... Could it be... Could it be...

"He... he... how did he die? How did he die?" Yun Qinghong asked, his voice trembling.

Yun Che didn't hide or hesitate, stating directly, "Twenty-two years ago, not long after Father and Mother fled Floating Cloud City, the villains who were pursuing you somehow learned that you had been in contact with Uncle Xiao. They found him and pressed him for your whereabouts. Uncle Xiao refused to speak, even preferring death, and so... and so..."

Yun Qinghong's body suddenly swayed violently.

"After Uncle Xiao died, his wife soon followed him in death, out of love. Grandmother was overcome with grief, fell ill from sorrow, and passed away after giving birth to my youngest aunt, who is a year younger than me. I didn't even get to clearly see what they looked like... Grandfather alone raised my youngest aunt and me..."

"..." Yun Qinghong's lips trembled, his eyes bulged, and his entire body suddenly shook violently. He suddenly spat out a mouthful of fresh blood and collapsed heavily backward.

"Ah... Husband!""Father!!"

Mu Yurou and Yun Che cried out in unison and rushed forward to support Yun Qinghong's body. Yun Qinghong's lips quivered, and the shocking crimson blood stained his mouth. He stared blankly upwards, two streams of tears falling straight down his face. "It was me... I killed Brother Xiao... I killed his entire family... It was me... it was me... I caused their ruin..."

"Brother Xiao's kindness to me was as vast as a mountain... yet I caused his... family to be shattered and destroyed..."